mΔgnus sufficientia:
by Marin-Kit
Summary: "Both of 'em, surprisingly enough," The boxer turned to the mutt as his eyes scanned the halls. "Not everybody here will make it, it's all about potential. The greater potential out of all of us. And people will get angry." Rated T for violence and language.
1. Welcome, Brave Cainine

He had no idea how he ended up here.

He was standing in front of a giant iron gate, it's huge, and there's a path extending from it to what looks like a fountain. The newcomer could see people move about around the campus, shouting with glee and other students were simply pummeling the shit out of each other. With a letter in his... paw, he began to glance at the lettering once more, just to make sure that he didn't end up at the wrong location. He wasn't alone however, his friend was simply at his broad shoulder, yakking on for who knows what. It's so hard to understand his friend.

But _how_ did he get here?

You know what? Let's rewind a little bit.

* * *

><p>His name, well, his alias is known as Duck Hunt.<p>

He's a dog, with ginger-colored short fur and a white mouth. If this universe would take place in the real world, he would look like a strange mix of a basset hound and a coon hound. His nose is black while the dog's eyes are a lovely shade of royal blue. Way back then, they used to be black. He had no idea how your eye colored changed, maybe it was from the powers that be that gave it to you. It didn't matter now. He had a black collar that wrapped around his neck. Now, like any other dog, it would have a name tag with his designated name on it. But due to nobody really giving him a name to go by, there's no name tag.

His friend is actually a purple and blue drake, who, out of all of the ducks in the world, chose the hunting dog, despite the predator-prey ideologies coming from between the both of them. But that's none of your business. The owner of the dog hunted his friend's kind after all. How the canine and avian became best friends is one tall tale. Like the mutt, he doesn't have a name either and the two of you are like peas in a pod. If someone tries to put a sneak attack on the mutt, his friend would let him know!

The dog and his owner have heard of the famous 'Smash Tourney,' where everyone auditions to be on the roster at this strange boarding school. Of course, due to publicity, the school has an ordinary name, designed to fool the public. The name in question is Fairfoote Academy of Athletics.

The name sure sounds ironic alright, but he didn't mind at all. It wasn't like it mattered.

He had been waiting at least thirteen years just to have a letter designated to him. It would be in an envelope, with a wax seal with the roster's logo on it. He would struggle to open it, and then it would say if he got accepted or not.

As he were busy hunting ducks with his owner, something gleamed in the sky, which took his attention away. A few of them plummeted down onto his sturdy head as the hunter continued to shoot more ducks with his hunting rifle.

The gleaming thing flew down from the sky and to the field where the two partners usually hunted. It landed right at the dog's feet, and as more fucks- sorry, ducks kept falling all around him, he slowly noticed the Smash Bros insignia on it.

Oh.

Sweet.

Miyamoto.

He was so excited, this is it, this proved whether he got in or not. And as the caretaker yelled at the dog for not catching those damn ducks, the mutt had somehow opened the capsule due to his godlike dog powers.

Which meant trying to pry at the thing with his paws.

That didn't matter, he had finally gotten the top of the tin off, and with the letter laid out in front of his paws, he couldn't hear his owner muttering something about 'that stupid dog.' He had said it in an old man's voice for some reason.

_Dear [SMASHER'S NAME HERE],_

_If you are reading This, tHen congratulations! You havE been accepted to be a part of Fairfoote Academy of Athletics! Of course, due to the public constantly wanting to SWARM us like a One Direction concert, the real name is The Smasher's Academy for the SeLected Youth. If you are not a 'youth,' then please do not bother correctIng us. _

_You will be apart of many other Valiant smashers battling for a spot in the Final RostEr for the Final Tourney! ThiS will take a great effort, so please be prepared physically, mentally, and psychologically._

_We can not wait to see you at the academy doors! Please follow the directions in the capsule to get to TSAftSY._

_Sincerely (hopefully),_

_Headmaster Mastersons._

_Headmaster Crayden._

* * *

><p>The dog and his duck pal stood at a bus stop, the cold metal bench pressing its coldness into the dog's legs. It was the only stop in the place he was at, unless it meant travelling five long hours to a town with several of them. The dog's owner did not show up, but he did give the dog a gift, and it was a leg bone of a deer. The hunting dog had never been happier.<p>

As the bus pulled to a stop with a 'psshhh' sound, the dog hopped on the bus with joy before scanning the surroundings around him. It was a charter bus, with a plush seat exterior and a small TV in front of every seat. He couldn't see anybody in the front but noticed a man in the back with a newspaper in his giant green hands.

Something yanked at his collar as the dog was pulled to a seat by a... small boy?

"A dog! Look Mac, I caught a dog!" he held up the mutt like it was worth millions of dollars. The duck screeched in agony and began to peck at the boy's hands.

"Yeah kid, that's really nice." muttered a Brooklyn accented voice in the back of the bus. "Now put him down, I don't want to hear any goddamn ducks on this damn bus."

"It's pecking at me, and I don't even feel the pain."

"What?"

"Oh nothing!~" the boy said in a sing-song voice. The child put the dog in the seat next to him. "Hey, Mac, maybe the dog's with us! For the tourney!"

"With that duck?! Look, kid." he dramatically and slowly put the newspaper down to his skull-crushing thighs. "My father was KILLED by those... things!" The boxer put emphasis on the last word. While saying that, he had gotten up and walked over to the two while the bus was still moving. Mac stood at a tiny five feet and two inches, his arms and legs were thickened with muscle. He had a tight black tank top on him and black shorts, along with sneakers that looked dirty.

"That's right, you purple avian! My father died because of yoUUUUUUUUU!"

The drake tilted his head at the boxer. "Wenk?"

Lil Mac rolled his eyes as he went back to his seat, grumbling the whole way there as the kid turned to the dog and his companion.

"Well new pal, I'm Villager!" he held out his spherical hand and watched as the dog held up his paw and smacked Villager's hand.

"Good dog! Anyway, that guy in the back over there is Lil Mac, he said he came from the 'Bwanks,' wherever that is." Villager shrugged and shook his fist to Mac. "You're being a weenie, Macaroni!"

"Only my **_grandma_** calls me that, you little bastard!"

This will not end well. The dog covered his eyes and the bird did the same action as his partner.

"HEY!" the driver said. "Save it for the Academy! I don't want ANY of you to wreck this damn bus!"

"And how,"-Lil Mac diverted his attention to the person at the steering wheel of the bus-"do you know about that?"

The driver dramatically turned to reveal that it waaaaaaaaasssssssssssssss...

WOLF!1!11!1!

"I USED TO GO THERE!" he screeched in Mac's face. Spittle flew everywhere and the boxer had to squint. "But noooooo! Master Hand said I had to drag out all of you fuckin' **_NEWCOMERS_** out here. Ya wanna know why I got kicked off?!"

"I'd rather not-" Villager piped up before being barked at (geddit) by Wolf. "Shut yer trap, kid! The reason I got kicked off was because Master Hand told me that I was useless! A weakling! A-"

"Save the sob stories for when you're with Snake, I'm sure he'd appreciate it greatly." Sarcasm was dripping off of Mac's accented voice.

"I hate Snake," Wolf grumbled, driving over the speed limit.

Meanwhile, the dog was slowly sinking into the seat, thinking about his life choices. Why did he have to go on a bus with a cranky veteran, a more cranky boxer, and a sadomasochistic kid? Why couldn't the ride be normal?

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Curled up in the Villager's lap, the dog was peacefully snoring his worries away as the boy snored loudly. The trip had tired the dog, and it didn't look like they were getting anywhere anytime soon. (Mainly due to a traffic jam and Wolf screaming about Miyamoto knows what.)<p>

He dreamed of steaks, t-bone and Salisbury, falling all around him. He was feasting on the most pristine of meats, having a good time.

Until the whispering started.

It started so low, that a normal human couldn't hear it. Due to having good hearing, the dog could easily pick up words from the rasping.

"S..w..."

"In...fec...t..."

"Mas...ter lov..es us."

"Master..."

"Master... give up..."

"Give up."

"GIVE UP!"

The dog yelped at the last hoarse voice yelled at him and fell back from a cliff. His duck friend wasn't here, and he was plummeting to his doom. As the ground rapidly came within his field of vision, the dog could see a human hand reach out for him from the inky darkness. Like the void below, it was shadowy and dark.

And that's when a loud horn creeped it's way into the newcomer's ear canals.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UUUUUUUUUP!" Wolf slammed his furry fist onto the bus horn several more times as the dog convulsed, falling onto the cool floor of the bus. His avian amigo managed to be a few steps back, otherwise, he would have been crushed like a bug.

Or like a fanboy's dreams.

"HEY LOSERS! WE'RE AT THE ACADEMY! GET UUUUUUUUUUP!" The Villager opened his eyes and yawned, fumbling for something before slowly coming terms to reality. "Oh, I'm not in Treetown..."

"No shit, Sherlock! Look outside!" The dog managed to get the seat closet to the window, and what he saw made his jaw drop.

There was a giant gate with the words: 'Vicisse Omnes' on it, a dirt path extended from the entrance to what looked like a fountain with benches and... hedges? Weird. The main building had a Neo-Gothic look and feel to it, which was to the north of the fountain. On it's left and right sides were two other buildings that weren't as big as the main building. The dog could see people walking around and chatting. The tension in the mutt's stomach loosened.

It looked like some academy.

"Blah, blah, you've seen it. Now you get to experience it. Get off my bus."

* * *

><p>And here he was.<p>

Villager had his mouth open the entire time, while Lil Mac looked around apprehensively. The dog could see suitcases at the human's sides, but due to being a dog, Duck Hunt Dog didn't bring anything except his friend. Nothing's more valuable than the power of friendship!

"Damn bus won't start!" Wolf muttered as he fiddled with the wheel. He saw something shiny flicker in his peripheral vision and he shivered. "Shi-"

Wolf's bus exploded as the anthromorphic lupe began to spin and spin in the air, rising into the sun. He raised up his fist and shook it, giving off a war cry. "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!"

There was a loud 'ding!' sound and he was gone.

Beautiful.

"Yeah," Mac said. "I won't miss him anytime soon." He picked up his bags and walked through the gate, followed by Villager. Duck Hunt Dog hesitated, but proceeded to follow the two other newcomers into the campus.


	2. New Accomplices And Or Enemies

**Wow! I didn't expect my story to get so many views, I even have one good review! That's a first.**

**Anyway, here's Chapter Two. The POV here, once again is the Duck Hunt Dog. (The POV does change in the middle here but other than that it's Duck Hunt Dog's POV.)**

**And here's a bit of trivia, the title means 'Great Potential' in Latin.**

**The more you knooowwww!**

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>NEWCOMERS!~"

Oh no. Not now.

A giant scream pierced the friendly air of the Academy as soon as he took three exact steps. Was this a bad sign for the dog and his duck friend? Almost immediately, the dog got into a fighting stance. He was determined to prove to everyone that nothing could hurt him! Absolutely no one! He gave off a threatening growl to the scream. The dog felt something whoosh past him and he slightly fumbled due to being surprised but then...

He was... being hugged?

Sure, he didn't mind hugs, whenever somebody petted him it made his spirits soar high; but this was like a tight hug. The male avian began screeching at the intruder, like always. Good duck. Best friend.

What was probably strangling the poor dog to death with a giant yellow sphere with cartoony black eyes. He had scarlet boots and cinnamon colored gloves on, not to mention that he was humming a strangely familiar tune.

"Oh man, oh man! I remember you, you're that laughing dog! You've even got a little friend with you! That's so cool!" the sphere said, giggling with glee. The dog didn't know whether to nod or attack, so he stood there, knowing that if you do not move, the enemy will not spot you.

But that only applied to hunting, not here.

"HANDS OFF OF MR. DOGGY!" Villager's voice sounded afar, and the dog made a yipping sound as he felt... metal?

The yellow circle had let go of the duo and was now screaming as Villager began to chase it with an axe. Lil Mac was after the kid's murderous trail. The yellow mascot ran away from it all in absolute terror. "BWAAAAAHHH! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRYYYYYY!"

"No one touches doggy without asking first!" Villager screamed, his wild look in his eyes made the dog quiver with fear. He could only imagine what a terror Villager would be if he met him on the battlefield. The poor dog wouldn't last a day.

"I'M SORRY! Please don't kill me! PLEASE!"

The dog flinched at the sphere's lispy voice, making his ears seemingly bleed in agony. He watched the three chase each other with mild amusement in his blue eyes. He should have brought some popcorn. But, popcorn was dangerous to dogs, and the dog didn't want to think about him lying still in a cold casket of death.

"Ook, ook!"

"Ookeeeeaahhhh!"

There was a flash of brown fur and a loud scream as the dog unconsciously ran over to the mess. What he saw had made him baffled and slightly intimidated. A giant ape held Villager in it's massive hand. The sphere was in the other hand. The boy was squirming around while a smaller monkey yelled something at the small mayor. Duck Hunt Dog was surprised to find out that the tiny brown chimp spoke surprisingly fluent in English.

"DK, put him down! I think he gets it now that he's not supposed to fight newcomers!"

"Aw come on, little buddy!-"

"No! Now put him down! I don't want Master Hand sending us to Subspa-" Diddy was interrupted by laughter as the dog noticed that Lil Mac had finally catched up to them, gasping for breath while patting 'DK's' large shoulder.

"Oh..." Mac took a deep breath between his words. "I... remember this... ape! Ha, I beat you at... the World Cup! Woo! *wheeeeze*"

"Uh, nice to meet you too, Mac." Donkey Kong said, giving Mac a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Oh, so _now_ you speak English? You faker-"

"That's right," Diddy Kong cut in, surprising the dog. "Of course, I do too! Every animal protag can do that due to the..." Meanwhile, Duck Hunt Dog had to mentally think to himself due to everything rushing all around him.

First, there was Donkey Kong. The giant ape that reminded the dog about a movie with a gorilla and a giant building. The dog mentally snickered to himself as he remembered wincing at the damsel in distress' screams of fear. The ape had a tie on, and it seemed like the ape was strong enough to pick up Little Mac and toss him into the thorny hedge.

Then, there was Donkey Kong's sidekick (or second banana, whatever that meant), Diddy Kong. The young ape was no taller than DK's hip and he had a faded red hat with the classic Nintendo™ logo on it. It was slightly torn at the visor but the dog thought it was from rampaging in the jungle like a wounded bear. He had a childish, shrill voice that made him sound like a pre-pubescent ten year old. It sounded like nails on an old chalkboard.

Lastly, the newest person that he had encountered was the sphere. He hadn't known much about him, other than the fact that he had an awful lisp and seemed to be a fanboy.

What a perfect team.

"Hi there, fellow newcomer!"

The dog nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw the yellow circle thing rock back and forth on his feet behind him. He had a sheepish look in his eyes (how was that even possible?) and the dog felt... pity?

"I'm sorry for scaring you earlier, I just got so excited when I saw you! I finally met a famous... oh, I'm rambling. Anyway, I'm Pac-man, mascot of Namco-Bandai!" Like Villager, he held out his hand and the dog 'waved' at him with his paw. Close enough.

"Yes, its all coming back to me now. You're the dog that always laughs whenever someone misses a duck. Anyway, its great to meet you-"

A loud gong sounded throughout the lawn, stopping the other fighting brawlers to stop their duel. The dog could have sworn he saw one of them, an azure cat, gulp nervously.

The dog never liked cats.

"Hey! Fresh meat!" Diddy Kong screeched annoyingly. "It's time for the ceremony! Maybe you'll be up on the stage with the Hands!"

"With both of them? Oh please. He wouldn't stand a chance. Let alone last a week in here." Donkey Kong muttered to his faithful sidekick. The two apes laughed at this and walked away as Villager threateningly raised up his axe.

* * *

><p>A quiet sipping sound echoed throughout the office as a man looked over the campus of his 'students.' He had grown to the term, even though he was supposed to be in a giant mansion like normal. Unfortunately, due to Tabuu's rampage, it got destroyed along with the man's dignity.<p>

So he had to improvise.

Luckily for him there was an abandoned boarding school (instead of Fairfoote it was known as Eureka) just down the road, and through the power of creativity, he had restored it.

But the man felt like he was being watched.

It wasn't like any of the other times when he was on the battlefield, with all of the other smashers; no, this felt like something was watching his every move. His precise calculations. Everything about him.

And that gave him the slightest of shivers.

He sipped at his warm tea again, before being startled by a loud crashing sound as the doorknob dented the cream colored wall behind it. The man would need to get that fixed later.

"Helloooooo brother!" an odd tremulous voice echoed throughout the room as the man glanced at the visitor before looking at the window once more. His back was always facing the intruder.

"Crayden." the man replied back. "You really don't need to slam the door every time you walk into here."

"I can't help it Masonnnn," Crayden whined childishly, stepping over to the window beside his brother. "You know me: Crazy Hand! The-"

"Embodiment of destruction and chaos. Don't remind me once more, brother."

"'Nyeh, nyeh! I'm Master Hand, and I'm a total arse who shoves tea up his ass!' You really need to lighten up, man." Crayden pressed his face onto the window, his wild red eyes scanning every smasher before yanking Mason's arm. "Hey, hey! Look, it's Little Mac, in the flesh!"

The taller man squinted and saw the boxer, small and thick muscled. "Oh, right. I remember him. He fought Donkey Kong in a boxing match one time. I was very, _very_ impressed with the results." The black haired male glanced at him yakking on to Peach and Zero Suit Samus, doing something that Crayden described as 'showing the big guns.' Peach giggled while Samus rolled her eyes.

"Yeah! He took him down to the ground! I wonder if he'll do the same with the other fighters."

"He might have a problem with Pikachu and Kirby. As well as any other smaller battlers."

"Good point, br- THERE IT IS!"

Crayden pointed at a small dog with a purple and blue duck on it's shoulders. It trotted up to the steps, busily looking around for something before turning around to see Pac-man and Villager run up to him. Their mouths moved as the dog visibly snickered and Pac-man patted the dog's head.

"That's him?"

"Yeah, that's the dog! Y'know, the one that everybody in the Nintendo era got all pissy about. I told you he'd get into here!"

The dog looked upwards, seemingly towards them. He glanced at the duck and pointed to the sky while the avian got off his back and gripped onto the base of his tail with his talons.

"I'm getting more tea, please don't break anything in here." Mason managed to close the door before a reply could tumble out of Crayden's lips. The other headmaster watched as the duck break out in a sweat as the dog was lifted up into the sky.

Right to the window.

The dog took notice of Crayden and waved while the mutt's feathery friend looked like it was about to collapse. The dog hadn't noticed and he smiled at Crayden.

The white haired male waved back, the gesture more intense then the dog's own. He then watched as the duck let go of the dog and the hound fell. Crayden could see his limbs flail about in mid air as a shocked look came over his face. Thankfully, he was caught by a small kid with short brown hair.

"What are you waving at?"

"The dog," Crayden said nonchalantly as he turned to Mason who had a fresh cup of peppermint tea in his gloved hand.

"Duck Hunt? I doubt that."

"But he was really there! He waved, fell, and the Villager caught him!"

"Yes, and I wasn't controlled by Tabuu!" Mason grunted. "Changing the topic here, I managed to meet some of the brawlers as I was getting my drink. Sonic hasn't changed a bit, surprisingly."

"Even after that incident?"

"Mhm. He's still the cocky asshole that he is. He wouldn't last the tutorial challenge we have set up."

"Really?" Crayden said. He glanced once more to the ground below, only to find nothing there. "What is it this year?" Master Hand took a sip as there was a long pause before he responded.

"Have you ever heard of the Great Cave Offensive?"

* * *

><p>The atrium was bigger than the dog expected it to be.<p>

His heart would already be pounding with excitement if it weren't for the fact that he had seen either the famed Master or Crazy Hand at that window. The mutt thought it must be the latter due to him waving rather excitedly.

One point for Duck Hunt Dog for meeting someone well-known.

His duck friend's jaw dropped in surprise as the dog scanned the lobby with awe. There was a giant staircase that could fit at least five Donkey Kongs across it. It led up to some other rooms that the dog couldn't recognize, but he did see a few signs.

_'Cafeteria'_

_'Auditorium'_

_'Brawl Sim v. 11.21'_

_'Office'_

_'? Room'_

The last sign amped up the hunting dog's curiosity. What could be in that room? The dog thought it would be something like Final Destination. Or maybe more Smash Balls? He didn't know, but the dog knew that someday, he would get to figure out what that room meant.

Even if both Hands caught him in the act.

"Come onnnnn!" Villager drawled. "Everybody's moving to the auditorium! All of us newbies are going to be introduced!"

"Yeah!" Lil Mac cut in, shoving the small myor aside. "Maybe I'll show them my moves!"

"I swear to Nogami if you shove me again I'll cut you up!" The kid held out his axe again.

"Okay, sorry. Jeez, you really need to calm down."

The small dog followed both of them as he began to slowly recognize some brawlers from the past years. By the time he got to the auditorium doors, he had seen his fellow acquaintances from thirty years ago? Had it really been that long?

As the dog took a seat near the front of the wooden stage, he looked around to find his new friends, but scooted back after his face narrowly missed a green propeller.

To think what his face would look like if he hadn't paid attention... Euuegh.

"Move it, Muttley! The Koopa prince needs his seat!" A small dinosaur hopped out of a flying capsule and landed at the seat next to the dog and duck team. He had a white bandanna around his neck that had a crude sketch of monstrous teeth. He had beady black eyes and a tuft of red hair on his lime green head. There was a spiky shell on his back and it looked like it could tear up anything to shreds.

"HEY! Dog! Yeah, you!" he pointed a clawed finger at the dog's pale muzzle. "I'm talkin' to ya! Can't ya actually speak?"

"..."

Well, the hound could say something, but it would come out in either barks or laughing sounds. He could try to see if the supposed prince could translate.

"Warf?"

"Woof, woof. I can't understand what you're saying!" he enunciated the last word that loudly to the point where the male duck gave the Koopa a dirty look.

"Bowser Jr's the name, ya better remember it, dog!" Bowser Jr. grunted as the lights darkened. "Oh boy! It's starting! Hopefully the Hand's would recognize my true potential!"

_Of what,_ the dog thought to himself silently. _You being a spoiled brat?_

As soon as the lights dimmed, the crowd managed to quiet down before someone screamed. "WOO! BRAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLL!"

Two men of course suddenly appeared, one was twitching (probably the person the dog saw at the office window) while theother one looked calm and serene. People started to applaud while Junior had a bored look on his face.

"Hey! It's my favorite smashers!" the twitching one said. "All of you! I'm not picking specific favorite but, wow, it has bee-"

WHAM!

The younger man flew offstage as there was an apparent 'one hit kill sound.' Junior had stopped breathing as the black-haired male had slapped him to the point that he had apparently OHKO'd him. Something dark blue glittered on his right gloved hand, but due to limited sight the dog couldn't see what it was.

"My apologies," the taller man announced. "Crayden can be a bit... unpredictable. But I'm sure you veterans have known this. As for the newcomers-" he glanced at the front row where both the Koopa and dog were, "-they have seen it for themselves."

The twitching Crayden nonchalantly dropped down from the ceiling as he muttered something under his breath. The tall man glanced at him before stepping forward. "For those of you that don't know, the twitching... fool over there is Crazy Hand and I am Master Hand. We only appear as hands on the battle field, so by any means, do not be startled."

The speech went felt like hours as the dog silently yawned in boredom. Maybe a nap would be good right now, the dream from before on the bus wasn't exactly a pleasant one.

"blah blah blah blah Tabuu was being a prick... blah blah blah blah..."

Before he knew it, the dog drifted off to dreamland. But the world faded away from him, leaving him in a dreamless sleep. He just floated on an empty void.

But that thing appeared.

It looked just like him, but all in shadow. The dog raised up its paw, and the shadow mimicked him. The hound barked, and his response was a feral snarl that made the dog jump.

The dog wondered what that thing was as it got of from its sitting position, walking slowly over to the dog. The ginger furred canine tried to move, but couldn't, and he was forced to watch as the thing stood on two legs, using its front paws to grab Duck Hunt Dog's face.

"I am you," the shadow beast snarled. "I am your fears, your desires, your wants. But I. Am. You."

The dog felt something slapping him on the head as he began to black out from his dream, but not before the shadow dog opened it's mouth once more.

"You may call me Corona."

* * *

><p>"Please welcome our last newcomer, Duck Hunt!"<p>

The dog opened his eyes quickly to notice that his bird friend was pecking him. What a great wake up call.

He fell from his seat and scurried up onto the stage, where he could get a better view of his competitors. He could recognize the brawlers he met earlier, he even saw Mario as his heart raced with fear. The plumber was munching away on popcorn with a languorous look towards the hands.

What if they hated him?

The dog gulped visibly as Crazy Hand had said something and most of the smashers laughed while the dog just stood there.

Were they laughing at him? He couldn't tell, and he felt something nudge him ever so slightly, and then hushed voices.

"Crayden, what did you do this time?!"

"I just waved at him, you potato with eyes!"

"Ugh, you know what? Leave me to do this."

The dog felt something lifted him and his friend up and he looked around him to see something dark blue all around him. He glanced down at the floor to see he was being lifted up by some form of magic. He saw himself 'fly' to the exit as Crazy Hand said something about 'rooms' and 'minor adjustments.'

By the time he got the the double doors, he felt the magic release him and he plopped to the ground. Imprints were scattered all over it, despite it feeling like a cloud.

Today was going to be a very long day.

* * *

><p><strong>End Of Chapter Two. To Be Continued...<strong>


	3. The Shadows of All

**Third Chapter! And it's still going on strong!**

**And yay for one more review! ouo**

* * *

><p>Was he on a cloud right now?<p>

It felt so warm and nice. The dog felt like he was floating on it as the cloud drifted lazily in the crystal clear sky. Something shifted beside him and he opened one blue eye to see...

Nothing.

The dog quickly lifted his head up to scan his surroundings. Everything seemed to be dark, but he could see at least three beds. The one he was on had a green comforter, reminding him of a grassy ground back at home. His duck friend was curled up beside him, shuffling his little padded feet every now and then. Suitcases were seemingly poking out from under beds and there was obnoxious snoring in the room.

It wouldn't be too bad to explore right now.

Carefully getting up from the bed, the dog silently jumped to the coffee colored carpet. He wasn't going to let his friend come with him, he would make too much noise. While his paws slowly sank slightly into the plush carpet, the dog walked over to each of the beds, just to see who was bunking in with him.

The one with the green comforter (and the bed he had woken up on) was Villager. The dog peered over and immediately froze when he saw an axe in the kid's hands.

Would he ever get tired of trying to murder people with it?

The next bed, which was across from Villager's own was Little Mac. He was snoring away and occasionally muttered a few things such as: 'Yeah, baby. I'll kick Hippo's fat ass...' and 'No, no... save the egg, kale and bacon smoothie for later, doc...' The bed sheets were tangled as most of them had pooled around Mac's thighs. The dog spied a magazine in his hands with a scantily clad woman on it and the dog recoiled in fear. Eeugh.

The other bed was seemingly missing in the dark, but it had the faint smell of alcohol. The bed looked sparse and the dog sniffed its way to the underside of the bed. This was where he found already collecting dust. How interesting.

The last and final bed was a dog bed with a seaweed and aquamarine color. There was a faded blue pillow, and a note. The dog held it up to the moonlight to read it clearly.

_Dear Hunter,_

_Yeah, you would normally think that this isnt your name by a long shot. Let me explain._

_We had these files on you (top secret info im not supposed to tell!) and found put that your original name was Hunter. Why you never picked up on it is strange, but at least everyone will stop calling u the dog. Ur duck friend is dusty or ducky. pick which one._

_but thats it_

_yay_

_Crayden._

On the back of the brief letter was a crude drawing of Hunter and his duck friend. There was an arrow pointing to both of the animals labelled 'Bark. Quack. Boom!'

Hunter put the letter down gently and squeezed his way through the door. The hallway was dim, and in one corner of it there was the loudest snoring of them all. How did anybody slept in that room peacefully?

The dog sneaked past the white doors to see himself in a lobby type of room. The TV was on, and it had turned to static while some yellow monster snored away, his body contorting on the couch. He grunted and walked out through the door, not noticing the little bell that made a noise every time the door opened or closed.

_Ding-a-ling-ding!~_

Hunter froze in his place as he watched the giant dinosaur to see if he had moved, and the giant turtle groaned and rolled over, his stomach pressing onto the cold fabric of the couch.

The cold winter air made the dog shiver as he walked down the white cobblestone path. It had started to snow, the flakes were about as think as a penny, and the dog had to shake his fur every time he felt a great weight on his back. It felt unusual that Dusty wasn't with him. Oh well.

His claws scraped at the cobblestone, as he walked to the fountain, still running the water freely despite it being too cold out for it to be liquid. It was probably the Hands that kept it from unfreezing, but why?

The dog looked at that building exactly alike from the one he came from, and he saw a human thing with an odd gait and a blonde-haired man with only shorts on.

It wouldn't be too bad to spy on them.

The dog leaped into the bushes, scraping his fur and skin, leaving brambles inside his short fur. He'd get them out later.

"But." The human (who now sounded like a robot) "How does one, how do you say: Feel it?"

"Like the way I feel with the other newcomers..." he leaned in to the humanoid.

"Uhm."

"WITH EXTREEEEEEEEME HATRED!" He laughed, making the spying dog roll his eyes. That wasn't interesting at all, he thought it might be time to see what was outside the gates.

With a spring to his step, the dog ran straight to the giant iron gate. Maybe he could see what the living space looked like to the pub-

BAM!

The dog surged backwards as the gate in front of him glitched before retaining its shape. It was a force-field, and if the dog had been any closer, his brains would have been fried.

The snow storm grew, and the wind made the dog's legs shiver. He didn't want to get frozen over, so he lifted up his feet and slowly went back to the male dorm. By the time he managed to open the door, the dinosaur thing was standing in front of him.

Shit.

"I knew I smelled a good steak around here! And it's medium-well, my favorite!" the mutant turtle said. It only took three seconds for Hunter's legs to work again as he bolted toward his room, hopping onto the dog bed. Sweat ran down his brow(?) and he was shaking as he tried to rouse himself to sleep.

Donkey Kong was right, he wouldn't last a whole week in here.

* * *

><p><em>"Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-do!"<em>

Hunter was roused awake by a very familiar tune, as he saw a digital alarm clock blink the time in a rapid speed. The dog got up and stretched, his claws sinking into the fluffy exterior of the dog bed as he saw Dusty glare at him from the Villager's bed. The tiny child was still sleeping while the dog noticed the fourth bed had a large shape in it. It wouldn't hurt to look.

Now, with the bird on his back, he leaped up to the dark-colored sheets and slowly pulled back the covers to reveal a large man with wild red hair. (Because he's worth it.) The dog could hear him, just like Little Mac, mumble in his sleep.

With his hyper-sensitive nose, the dog walked to the doorway to the hallway to see a few of the doors closed. Not wanting to run into the turtle that wanted to eat him, Hunter made his way to the small lobby. As soon as he arrived a noxious aroma wafted over Hunter's nose. It made him gag as he easily recognized the smell of garlic.

A fat elf man was eating as many garlic cloves as he could stuff in his mouth as he saw Donkey Kong pump up his arms. "Eat 'em!" the ape chanted. "Eat 'em, eat 'em, eat 'em!"

"AUGHCKFJKCHFUIWYHSHIUSHSHHHH!" the fat elf choked.

"Go Wario! Go Wario! It's your birthday!" Donkey Kong's sidekick said, flailing his limbs. The dog and duck team quickly moved out of the way as a more vile scent invaded his nostrils. By the time the dog had walked outside, there were cheers and more choking noises.

The dog later felt his paws give out under him as a bottomless hole appeared out from under him. When the dog opened his eyes, he could see rocks all around him as the duck tried to steady himself with his azure colored wings. The rocks eventually turned to crystals as he fell on a shiny platform. Getting up to his feet, he saw there were three doors around him. The door at the ledge above him had the same warping texture the force-field did when he tried to exit off the campus.

"What the hell, Master Hand?!" Hunter heard someone say on the bottom ledge. "I just fucking woke up, you-"

"Watch your language! This is an E-rated game, Falco! Not to mention that there's a kid smasher next to you!" Hunter looked down to see an anthropomorphic blue bird screeching at Master Hand's voice before he started to hack and cough. When the bird opened his mouth again, there was more coughing involved.

"Thank you, Crazy Hand."

"No problem, bro! It was easy as kicking off Wolf!" The voice sounded like it was behind him, so Hunter turned.

And nearly fainted.

The thing standing in front of him was a massive white glove. Its fingers twitched sporadically, not to mention that the white hand seemed to be slightly red tinted.

"Hi doggie!" The giant hand announced, patting the dog's head. Hunter felt himself fall face first into the ground when the hand petted him.

"**CRAZY!**"

"Uuuuuughh! Fine! Sorry doggie, gotta go." The giant twitching hand laughed before being sucked into a dark red void. There was a white flash and the left hand had disappeared from view.

Now that the second final boss was out of the way, Hunter could see a pure white human with training clothes on, stretching her body to impossible lengths. The character near the door to his right looked like a small yellow mouse. Were these his competitors?

"Get ready, Smashers... oh, and by the way, whoever has the most treasure is my automatic favorite."

"HOLY SHIT, THERE'S TREASURE?!"

"**WHAT DID I JUST SAY YOU F-**"

Crazy Hand sounded the loud horn, cutting off Master Hand's curse short as the dog and duck team felt something uncanny flow around them. A few moments later, they saw that the crystal enviorment had vanished, as now it had became a strange forest area.

"We-Welcome to the Sub-Tree area! This will prove your speed and stamina and... other things that I really don't care about. Go!"

And at the sound of a gunshot, all of the fighters took off, leaving the surprised Luuma looking around wildly. Hunter was racing to the exit, not noticing that a woman with platinum blonde haired screeched and ran back the other way.

Hunter spotted the treasure chest coming into view, and he pounced. Other smashers had saw him, and through cries of 'Get that dog!' they advanced towards him.

The dog was quicker than them however, as his right paw touched the ornate box, a star burst out of it as the dog spun around, striking a pose as he saw a gray dialogue box in front of him.

* * *

><p><strong>You found the Gold Medal!<strong>

**10,000 G. (Not that it matters.)**

* * *

><p>Hunter continued his conquest, leaping over ledges and other Smashers. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a shadowy mass following him. It transformed into a shadow form of Hunter and Dusty as it floated alongside him.<p>

"**I can help you.**" Corona murmured, its soulless eyes watching over the competitors scramble to one chest. He saw Pac-man hold up a candy bar as a giant dark blue frog tackled him in desperation. Hunter turned to Corona and shook his head as the duck covered behind him, pecking a small yellow rat that shot lightning bolts from its small body.

"**You... you don't want _my_ help? How peculiar of you, Mr. Peepers. It only seemed like back then you were so desperate for your owners to love you instead of cursing about your existan-" **The being was cut off with a loud bell ringing throughout the forest as Hunter suddenly covered his floppy coal colored ears at the noise.

"Apologies, fellow Smashers." Master Hand said. "There seems to be something in the system that's... Oh no." The voice shorted out as the dog approached the door for the area's boss, ignoring his woeful words.

* * *

><p>A tall, purple haired man sat cross-legged in a black chair. He had on a purple sweater vest with a light lavender long-sleeved shirt. Covering about two-thirds of his face was a pristine white mask that had two black holes for his eyes. In front of him was a simple laptop, next to it was a glass of garnet colored wine. The room around him was in a polygonal shape, with shapes flowing around the dark space behind him. Along with the symbols, there were XMB waves, and dark purple crystals. With his bright yellow eyes scanning something on the device, he was interrupted by a loud beep.<p>

_CALLER ID: little 'handy' assholes._

Of course. Of fucking course.

The laptop transformed into a screen with two 'windows.' One contained a large right hand as it curled its fingers uncertainly as the area behind him focused on a large pale blue penguin with a hammer. The other window was home to a erratic, twitching left hand.

"Hello, you two. What do you want this time?"

"Fath- _Sir, _you remember the project right?"

"How could I not remember? I mean, out of all of the people in Ondentin, you choose me. I'm not even-"

"That's beside the point!" the left hand shouted. (How can a giant hand shout?)

"Did you just interrupt me?"

"Sorry sir, but this is urgent. We think it escaped."

"ESCAPED?!" he bellowed, slamming down his wine glass, surprising the two hands. Shards of it pierced his skin as his hand leaked violet colored blood.

"It's essence, at least. Not the full forme, otherwise..." the right hand went into an uncomfortable silence for what seemed like forever. The masked human snapped his fingers as a shadowy, yellow eyed two-dimensional dog came and cleaned up his hand wound. It poured a new glass of wine and set it in its master's hand.

"Right right. And it leaked to the Brawl Simulator?"

"That is correct."

The man stayed silent for a few moments, analyzing the situation in his head. If a part of it had gotten into a simple simulator, it wouldn't be too much trouble. Of course, if the whole thing had gotten out...

No, no. He couldn't think of that.

"Sir Pollux?" the anthropomorphic dog asked in a reverbed voice. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine, Apparap. Please, leave us."

"Of course, sir."

There was a sound of crashing in Master Hand's window as the hand turned to the giant screen behind it. "Hey! Stop that, that Glass Slipper is very fragile!"

"**Mason.**"

The right hand stopped what he was doing and quickly turned to Pollux. "Yes?"

"I'll be taking my leave now, but just remember about keeping that... _thing_-" the purple blooded man put emphasis on the last word. "-intact."

"He was only a kid, Pollux-"

"And look what happened to him because of your foolish actions! Goodbye, you two."

Before any of the white appendages could protest, Pollux shut off the communicator.

It didn't matter if that thing was a kid.

It had to be stopped.

It needed to fully die.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter Three. To be continued...<strong>


	4. Envy at Its Finest Point

**Alright! Here's Chapter Four. It took a while.**

**Also, if you got the reference at the last segment in Chapter Three, then you earn some virtual money! (I'm so sorry I had to.)**

**It does get slightly dark in the chapter, but if you want me to change the genre I gladly will. (or the rating.)**

**Chapter Four: Envy at Its Finest Point.**

* * *

><p><em>"Help me! HELP ME!" A young voice shrieked in the somewhat empty lab. A shadowy tendril had wrapped around the male damsel's waist as he was dragged into a red Smash Ball look-a-like. His green eyes were brimmed with tears as he gripped onto things for support, kicking at the inky blackness.<em>

_He was seventeen years old, with light brown hair tousled seemingly in place. There was a light blonde streak at his bangs. He wore a black lab coat with a faded Smash Ball logo and the words 'Corona Project' labelled below it. The kid managed to wear black clothing as well, only sticking with dark brown shoes as a variation between the two colors._

_The teenager saw the gray haired male staring at that... hellish thing behind him, frozen in absolute fear. He was in his usual outfit, and due to the thing attacking him, it was torn at is tie and vest. His hair was more raggedy than usual, and the boy could barely see the black streak in his hair The boy wanted to know why, out of all people, was he scared of the abomination behind him._

_And then he became angry._

_They never cared. They thought he was a useless object, just like all of the other smashers. Whenever he announced something about the project, they ignored him. They never did care, it was only about the Tourney. They just wanted to do this for their own amusement, being gods and all._

_Those cheeky bastards._

_"**WHY WON'T YOU HELP ME?!**" the boy cried out angrily to him, shaking with rage, the force now dragging him to his impending doom._

_The last thing he saw before the twilight engulfed him was the silver haired male running away in fear._

* * *

><p>He was so close to the finish, but at the same time he was so damn tired.<p>

Hunter the hunting dog dragged himself to the minecart from the very end of the Garden Area. He ignored the large tomato in front of him (despite having 45% damage done to him), plopping down on his belly as he grunted. When Crazy Hand had told them that this would be a tiring course, he wasn't kidding. (For once.)

The other three bosses of the cave offensive were tiring, with Hunter nearly dead after the Chameleon-like boss. He was thankful for the pieces of food that occasionally dropped whenever he KO'd an enemy.

The dog hadn't seen anyone behind him besides Little Mac and Villager. Lazily turning his head, he saw the kid was still full of energy while the boxer had plenty of wounds and bandages to his face.

"How... are you... so HAPPY after all of that?" Mac asked Villager.

The small villager shrugged. "I have no idea, call it mayor's intuition."

"Look kid, we're almost there. So why don't you help me pick up this dog and we'll get picked up by the warp star or whatever."

"Fine, _Macaroni_."

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!"

Hunter and Dusty were too tired to move at all. The duck watched apprehensively as both newcomers picked the dog up by both the head and the tail. As soon as they got to the exit, they were shoved by Bowser Jr. as he tried to be the first to get to the supposed exit. "Move it!"

His response was met when Little Mac sucker punched him, making a hole in the dirt wall to where he was once flown to.

Now with the Koopa princeling out of the way, Little Mac had started to speedwalk over to the large glowing star. THe only problem with that was the he had dropped the front end of Hunter, causing the mutt to whine in pain.

"You dropped him!" Villager warned Little Mac.

"He's a dog! I'm sure he'll be fine, kiddo."

"Maaaaaac!" Villager called out again, just barely dodging a fire blast that would have charred his ear if he hadn't paid attention. "They're catching up to us!"

The boxer stood still, pondering over the choices. He gestured to the Warp Star and then to the mutt. "I'm gonna throw him in."

"In the dumpster?" the kid gasped, slamming his shovel onto the head of an orange dragon.

"No! The star! Here, watch!" The Brooklyn boxer slid his green gloves under the dog's body, grunting with force as he slowly stepped over to the glowing warp star. When Mac was five feet away from it, Hunter could see it turn on its side, spinning swiftly.

"In advance, Hunter, I'm so sorry for this," Mac mumbled as he heaved up his arms, tossing the short-haired cainine onto the star. In turn the dog clenched his paws onto the supposed vehicle and saw it ascend up to the surface with him on it. Hunter was barely holding on as the duck started to quack wildly.

He took one last glimpse at Mac punching the life out of Bowser and the fat elf. Then, there was a bright white flash that appeared in the dog's eyes. The dog felt like he was floating in the white void itself as he felt something tugging at his fur.

Hunter let go of the Warp Star and fell to his apparent doom.

* * *

><p>And then there was a room.<p>

Hunter was now standing in the doorway of a large bedroom. The walls were a cream color while the floor was wooden and strangely cold to his paws. There was a large bed with blue covers. Next to it was an opened chest, and by the was a large window, looking out the white void. The desk was clattered with books and pencils, along with plushies of... the smashers?

Something was off.

The dog leaped onto the chair to examine the toys, he could see Mario, Yoshi, and even Donkey Kong were in trinket form. As the dog picked up the Yoshi plush with his paws, he was surprised that it felt like actual cotton; not to mention that it was light, making it easy to throw it around.

There was a click that the dog's ears picked up, and he dived to under the bed, his white muzzle getting covered with dust bunnies.

A few footsteps were heard as the hunting hound saw a backpack being dropped to the floor with a thud.

"Sorry I'm late guys, school totally drained me! Not to mention that Dad was being... mean! But we can continue fighting!"

A drawer opened and closed quickly, along with mutterings of "Good thing this glove still fits" and "Dad needs to mind his own business." There was a squeak (coming from the gizmos, hopefully) as the voice changed to that of an flamboyant one. "And here, in Dreamland we have Yoshi! And in this corner we have Donkey Kong! Begin the fight!"

The dog could hear explosion noises from the kid and 'Yoshi, Yoshi!' as the retro mutt pondered on where he was at. He didn't notice the ape plush slide towards him, under the bed. It bumped into him with a quiet squeak.

"Donkey Kong is knocked out! He..." The child peered under the bed to see the newcomer huddled up in the center. "Oh! Donkey Kong found a friend! Hi dog!" A gloved hand grabbed both the toy and Hunter, making him yelp as the dog was placed on the bed.

The child looked to be twelve years old, with perfectly combed black hair and a blue hoodie with pants. There was a worn glove on his right hand as he reached out to be the dog. The strangest part was the kid's face was mostly blurred out for some reason. "I've never seen you here before, did Craig bring you over here?" The kid frowned. "What a shame, he loves dogs but always wrecks the fighters! I don't like him."

The kid turned to the door as a loud banging sound echoed in the room. "Marcus! Get over here! You have homework!"

Marcus screeched back, "Dad! Leave me alone! I'm busy with my friends and a dog!"

"God fucking- you don't even have any friends! You just sit there and isolate yourself from the world! Those things are nothing but toys!"

Marcus covered his ears and winced as if he was being set on fire. "Shut up! You're lying!"

"Son, don't make me come in there and..."

Now, the black haired preteen ran straight to the door. "No! I won't let you in!"

Hunter could hear something similar to an off-key music box being played in the background. "I don't want you in here!"

"One!"

Even though Hunter could see Marcus' back, he saw him shake. A beat had passed as the kid quickly grabbed all of his toys and Hunter. He felt like he was being hugged as he heard the toys squeak wildly.

"I'm scared doggie..."

"Two!"

"I don't want him to be like this... I just want to... battle with my friends..."

There was a loud banging sound as Marcus shoved his face into the plush and dog pile he had in his hands as he muttered one final sentence before he disappeared.

"I wish they were real."

* * *

><p>Hunter woke up with a loud yelp and he flailed his limbs in terror, quickly sitting up to see that he was in a white room with other smashers that were mingling with each other, waiting for their fellow 'team-mates' to return from the simulator.<p>

The dog didn't know what happened when he was in the boy's room. but something struck him to be odd. The smashers were all in plush form, along with the kid looking awfully familiar.

It must have been a hunch.

Hunter didn't want that thought lingering in his head, so he had walked straight to the door, which automatically opened for him, heading for the cafeteria.

He seemed to be the only one there in the lunchroom, with Waddle Dee chefs working in the kitchen with excited chatter that the dog couldn't understand. He could see a pink creature inhale (literally) all of the food on his plate. Beside him was another pink creature with a bow on the back of its head, cheering its friend on. Grabbing a plastic alabaster tray with his mouth, Hunter trotted over to the meat station, where he saw a large penguin screeching at the Waddle Dees.

"You betta freakin' make these steaks good! Yer' lucky that Masta' Hand himself didn' let me run this-" The king was cut short when he noticed the dog scooted by pass him to get a piece of ham. "Oh, hai there doggie. Ah'm King Dedede!"

The mallard glared at the robed bird as he plopped some meat slices onto the board, making droplets of gravy splatter onto Hunter's muzzle. "Well, now that ya did a favah for me, now you owe me one." Hunter walked over to the table to where Dedede sat next to him. Before he knew it, he was being picked up, to where the hunting dog couldn't see the monarch and his field of vision was directed to the pink blobs. "See that? Ah need ya to-" Dedede's endearing voice transformed to that of a beastly one with in a matter of seconds. "-**SLAUGHTAH THAT DERE KIRBEH!**"

The dog let out a quiet whimper as the duck started to move away slowly from the king. Dedede smiled sincerely and patted Hunter's head, seemingly back to normal. "Did ah say slaughtah? Ah meant slobbah, you know, like what dogs do! Right? Riiiiight?"

Hunter had taken his tray and moved away before Dedede could say another word.

* * *

><p>Avoiding Dedede for now was the best option, since Pac-man had dragged the dog to meet some old friends from the retro age from thirty years ago. Hunter was awfully surprised to see R.O.B. in a fine condition and Mega Man was observant as ever.<p>

"Gosh," Pac-man said. "I didn't think that I'd be up in this tourney. You have to be really lucky to get in. Only the best of the best get in!" Mega Man nodded, silently staring at Bowser. The koopa glanced in his direction, and with a huff, walked over to the cyborg.

"What do you think you're lookin' at bolts?!" Bowser roared, making Mega Man shrink back slightly as the Koopa towered over the table.

"I-I was only analyzing you, your Majes-"

"Bullshit!" Bowser interrupted. "If you want a fight, then you're gonna get one!" He reached over Hunter's shoulder to grab the Capcom mascot by the head. "See? I'm almost invincible!" he crowed as Smashers surround them.

"There's gonna be a fight!"

"First one this tourney! Woo!"

"I wanna join in!"

Hunter walked into the fray to help out his friend if Bowser seemed to be too tough for Mega Man to handle. The dog growled lowly at the mutant turtle as he tried to find a way to distract him. While this was happening, he thought of his trainer, who taught him that even if the duck wasn't hit directly, you should always evade it.

The dog heard a faint clicking noise, and as he and the duck leaped towards the giant king, the dog saw a gun target aimed at Bowser. Hunter instinctively took cover as something shot Bowser over and over again.

"GWARGH!" Bowser yelped. "What in the Mother's name was that?!" The dog opened one eye and scanned his surroundings while wondering where on this planet (he had no idea what the name of it was) that had come from? Was it some psychic energy? Was there someone beyond the fourth wall that was shooting at a target?

He didn't know.

He didn't want to know.

* * *

><p>And meanwhile, Master Hand was watching this unfold with his hands behind his back. The dog and duck team were certainly worthy, even if he could feel some sort of PK energy flowing from the mutt.<p>

Behind the humanoid's back, the man's right hand twitched erratically before returning to normal.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter F-fou-r-r-rrrr-rr. To be continued.<strong>


	5. Periculumm

**Ch̢a͏p͡t͏e̡r ̧F͘ i ̷v͡ e ::;͟ P̢eri͢ c̶u ҉lu͝m͠ mmm҉m**

* * *

><p>Tick.<p>

Tick.

Tic҉k҉...

T͜҉́i̸̧̛ick.͡..̕

Ţ͟͡͡i̵͘͝҉́c̢̧̕͘͞k̴̸.̸̶͜҉̀.̧̨͢͠.͠  
>̷͘͜͠Ţ̢̕҉í͜͡c͜͢k̸̡̛͘͢.͘͘͢.̵.͞<p>

.͏̷̢.̷̢͟͞.̢̕͠͏̸

.̧̡͡.̷.  
>͏.҉.̢͜͟.̷̴̀<br>̷..̶̵͡.̡  
>̵̵.̧͝.̵͡.̸͠<br>҉̢.҉͏͜.̵̢.҉͟͜  
>͢.̴..̛<br>.҉҉͏..̛

L̶̵̛e͠҉t͝'̨̛͟s͝ ̷͢͝p̛l͘͞a͞y҉...  
>̧͜.͟.̸.͢<p>

ẃ̸̧i̕͝҉ţ҉̸h҉̵ ̵͞͠t͘̕h̶̀́͡͝ę̧̀̀͡

a͝͏͢͜l̨̕͏̨l̨͞͡͝ ̷̷ķ̕͘͝ņ̸́͠͡ò̕͡w̢͏͟į̷̴̕͝n̵̸̢g͏̴̡͘

̶͟͠.҉̛̀.̶̷̨.͞H̷͢a̡҉͏̢n̵͢ģ́e҉̛d͏̴̷̷ ̸̶̷͡M̛̛ą̵͟͜͝n̨̕͟͡͞͡͡҉.̵͏.̵̶̀͡.̴̶̀́

͟͡҉͜͠.̸̵̡̛̕.̸̧́.̷̢͘͘͏Á̴̢n̶͢͜į͞m͝a͟͏͝l͝͏̕s̵̸̨͟ ̴̨c̡a̵͘͞n̨̛̕͢ ͟͠b̸̶e͢͠ ̧̨͠h̷̨͠a̢̨͡n̷̡͢͏ǵ̨̕̕͘e͟͟͠͡d̢ ͏̷͝͡t̴̷̕͞o̶̢o̷͟.̛͝͞.̧̢̢.̕҉̷͟͟  
>̷̨͘͡͠.̶.̴͝.̵̀<p>

* * *

><p>It was a simple test.<p>

Hunter was eyeing the metallic Mario clone before him, this was to test his strength if his other competitors had gotten the metal skin. The dog didn't know how it could be possible to make someone metal; but then again his fellow friends were a flat stick figure and a giant anthropomorphic sphere that ate anything. Anything could happen within his universe, within reason.

Cameras were watching his every move as he waited for the countdown to begin. The dog thought it would be to make sure that it was a valid decision to have him able to participate. This only made him pace back and forth mentally at the mere thought of being disqualified. He just got here, after all!

"**The test will being in T-minus 30 seconds. We a-apologize for your displeasure towards the certain failure at the simulator. Again, if this test fails, Master will not mind,**" a robotic voice murmured in the pristine white room. The mutt eyed the device suspiciously as it focused on the smasher.

"**Do not be afraid Huhnteer and Doosteh-" **the dog thought it was some sort of program that screwed up him and his partner's name so badly after that announcement** "-testing will cont-ti-ti-tinue. Testing begins in 5 seconds...**"

Hunter got into a ready position as the Metal Mario remained unchanged in its form, staring at the cainine. There was a 'clank' noise, as it proclaimed: "Let's-a-go!" This hurt the dogs ears and it made him use his paws to try to block out the sound from breaking his eardrums.

"**4...**"

"**3...**"

Had Hunter ever thought of countdowns being the number one thing he hated? Probably not so, but it wasn't as bad as being neglected...

"**2...**"

"**1. Testing will now start. Begin.**"

A mock gunshot sounded as Hunter leaped towards the metal plumber, catching his feathered friend off-guard for a few moments. Hunter skidded as Metal Mario set up his shield, bracing himself for the aforementioned attack. Growling, the dog ran towards 'Mario' to grab him and throw him off the edge of the training stage. It moved back and forth in a fighting stance as the dog bit hard on his skinny arm.

And the dog temporarily forgot that Metal could hurt him, as he suddenly yelped in pain as the metal human struggled in his rather weak grasp. Trying to get the pain off of his mind, he shook his head roughly, causing the Mario to flail around like a rag doll. The 'toy' was slammed onto the ground as the hunting dog twisted around and tried to toss him over the edge of the chrome platform. It recovered and slapped the dog with its cape, causing the dog to flinch backwards as his duck friend pecked at the now dented(Was it dented? The bright lights seemed to tell otherwise.) fiend.

"**Adjusting metal structure for easier combat. Testing.**" the digitized voice announced yet again. There was a light popping sound as Hunter

Now instead of wincing from the duck, Hunter could see Dusty attacking with fury. The mental had tiny craters in it from the beak's assault. A soft trilling sound was made as the Metal Mario suddenly fell on it's side, but not before spazzing out much like Crazy Hand.

"What happened?" Muffled voices murmured around him, possibly coming from the speakers of the cameras.

"I think the program crashed."

"Crashed?! It can't crash! It was made specifically by the Seiyon Republic..."

"Please don't mention them, the point is that..."

"What if it..."

The lights dimmed as the dog sat flat on its haunches, scratching its ear as the mutt waiting for a 'clear.' And due to him being able to see in the dark very well, he could see the Metal Mario get up very slowly. And it stared at him.

Hunter froze, watching it walk slowly to the edge with its head down, as if it was about to cry. It moved past the dog as the sentient metal statue walked over to the edge of the chrome stage. The dog wanted to move as it shivered erratically again, before 'accidentally' falling over the 'cliff.'

What a way to go.

A loud buzzer screeched loudly, one that was unlike the Metal Mario's 'voice' (if you could call it that), seemingly to announce that Hunter completed the test and the door slid open, revealing yet another alabaster colored area. While there seemed to be panic in the room (Hunter could see through the medium thick glass) he casually trotted over to the door as it he took one last look at the de͜ep͏, d̷a͟r͏k, ç͞o̡ĺd̵ v̴̢͠o͏̧i̡ḑ͜͞ d̶͘͟͝o̴̷͜͟w̸̧͡҉̡ǹ͠͝ b̡͞ȩ̵͘͠͠ĺ͘o̸͟w̵̢̢̕҉ ̸̸̷̴͡h̡̧͘͜i̵̷̕͝͞m̷̷.́͟͢͝͏self.

Hunter leaped toward ş ţh e ̛d̴o͟o ͟r,̕ ͜a nd̀ ́ţh̛èe͘ ̴d͘à ̧r̕k͢ ̛ness͘ ҉waAV͞d̛ ̧a͜ t̶ ̴HI̕ ͞m̢!͞

T̶̢h̴̸ę ̵́S͟͢wa ̷r͟m͠ ͠w̛̛ ̴o̷u̴̡͏l̴̨͞D̢ ̢̛͠L̴̡͡OV͝E ̶͝a̧l͟ ͜͝l͘ ̛͘of̡ ̨͟hr̷͘ ͜n̴̛͞ew̡ s͠S̷̛m̵͘̕a̸͜ş͏h͏͜ers̵̨,̡͜͠ ̀͘e҉s̴p͞͡E͏͏̕c͏̴̡́͝i̵̕a̷͜l̶͡l̵̕͞y̴̷̶͟͏ ̡̧́͘t̸̡̡h͝ę̸̀͟͞ ̵D͜͜ą̸͢͞͝r̸̸̢̛͠k͞͞ ̴̨ĺ̡͡o̧͡R̷̡̧̀͝Ḑ͜ ҉̵̧̧̢a͞҉͏̶́n̡͠͏͞d̵͜͟͟͠ ̢́͘͞t̶҉̶h̶͡͏e͜ ̢̕͡͞d̶̡͡ơ̴̡͞g̵̀͟ ̢҉́a̡͟͡n̶̕͟d̴͞ ̵̕͢͢H͜͜͏́̀u̧͏̷̢m҉̶͜ ̨͢n̡҉t҉̸̡͝e͝͞͏̷r̀͘͢͡ ̸̵t҉ę̛̕͢ę̷͠è̶̢͘͢a̷̵̕͝a̢̢m̡̀m͝҉͏-͘͠-̛͡-̷̢͘͠-́́̀͜͜-̨̛̕-̴͠͏̨̕-̢͢͟-͜҉̶-͏-̵̛̛͞҉

* * *

><p><em>Why did it have to at this way?!<em> the right handed glove thought. He wasn't currently in his human form just yet, but he was pacing(?) around the room that held the technicians. Some of them ducked in cover to avoid being trampled by Master Hand.

Hunter wasn't the only one that saw this incident. Ganondorf had been through the same thing, as the Brawl newcomers (SNake and Lucas) were forced to leave due to them mumbling incorherently after it did happen. Back then, he hadn't seen it unfold before his very... eyes, but now he did. And͏ ͢i͢t͜ ͏w̸a͞s C҉l ҉e̸a̴ rR.͞

Snake needed to leave after he thought it was a silly old CONSPIRACY that the events that he saw during Subspace AND with the VOID were because of the c͝a EL̡ ͝l̷O̕ ͞EMPI̢R̴E. Wh̢i̧c̀h̀ ҉ís ͘fa̕lse. ̀Fa͝l̡se̢. ͟F҉als̵e͘.̛ F͞a̕͘l̨͏̨s͡͏e͟.̶͞

Master Hand knew that it was false.

̵̨̛L̸̨͜u͞c҉͏a̧̧s͜͡ ̴̷̨l͟͝͏è̢ft̛̕͢ ͟͏͡eb̕ca̶͡ùs̶̛͞e̢̡ ͡he ̢͝W͜͜a҉͢s̸ ̵ŢR҉a҉u͜ama̧͘t̴̴͡i̢z̶͘e͟d!̷ T͜h̴̵̀e͏̀́ ͠on҉l͘͘y͏ ̛t́҉h̢i̷͞͏Ng̛҉ ̡͡h̸̶̨ȩ͘̕ ͢҉H͜͜Aḑ͟ ́̕e̷aWAZ͘s̸ ͜L̀O͡͠V̛͠R͜E̡ a̢̡̨͡n̷͏S̷ ̷̸͞H̵̢͏I̧͞S̛̕͘ ̶̶̡F̛̀A̷҉́͘͠M̡͡Į̸͜͢L̶̡͟Ý̛̛͜͢ ̸̛́͏G̴̨̨̕O͞͡͏̀T͘҉ ҉̡̢́͢Ķ̷l̴̢͢͠i͠͞l҉͟͝͡l̴̛e̡̛ḑ̴̢ ̸̶̶͠b̢̛͜͠y̸͡ ͢͝i̷͜͡T̨̨̨͜͡.̶̧̛͝

Love.

LOVE.

l̸̡͘͡Ớ̡͝V̴̸̷̢È͡҉  
>̢͜͞l̕o̧͟͟V̴̢͜E̵҉͝<br>̡̧̕͝L̀͞҉̴̕e̷͟V̵͟͝O̡̢͢  
>̡̀͘͞V̸L̛͡O̵̕͟͠E̸̴̢̕͠<br>͞͞L̴̀̕͏̴V̶̴͘͟͜O̧̕̕Ę̷̶͠  
>͝͝w̵̷h͞ỳ̢͟͟͝ ̷́̕͟d̵̀͢͟o̶͢n͝͝҉t̛ ̶̀͡y̵̵͝͝ó͢͠҉u̶̡͟ ͢҉҉ĺ͟͡͏ò͢͞v̢͘ȩ́ ̶̨̛̛̕m̨͡͏ę ͟͝f̵̷̶͜͟à̴̛͢t̡͡h҉̸̡͢e̶̷r<br>̴L̷̴̸͡V̵̵̧ǪE̴̕͡Ļ  
>̶̛̕͠V҉̨̕L̨̢̛̛͡Ơ̢͘̕͠V̧́͡È͠҉̷͝<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CONNECTION LOST FROM (MH).<strong>

**WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECONNECT?**

**YES/YES/YES/n̛o͡**

**YES**

**WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESET FROM THE STARTING POINT?**

**YES/NO**

**YES**

D̕ata p̸͢e̡͞r̡̀͟͡͡a̸҉̨m̴̧̢͜e̸̡̛͢͞n̷̨͟͞t̴͘͟͝a͟͝ĺ̷̢l̴̴͢y̸͘ l̨o̡s҉t͟.

T̢̛͡h͟͢e͝҉̵ ̨҉quianry ̧c͞҉h͞a̶̡p͞t̵e̴̡r̡͘ ̶̷͏c̨̛o͏̡u͞ĺd̴ ͏n̸̨̧o͏̛͡t͏ ҉̧̀b͞e̷ ̢͡f͝où͢n̷͡d̕̕.̸̷̧

T̀͡h̴̛͜͝e̢ ̢͝͞͝5̵̨͢͜t̢́́́̀h̨͜ ́͠҉̶w̵̧a͜͜ś̴̶́̕ ̶̨̕͘s̡͠͡͝w̴̴͢͟a͢l̶͡l̵o̢w̵͢e̸̢̨͘ḑ́̕͢͝ ̴͟u̢͘p̧̧(ḿ̷͞a̢͟ŗ̸̶c̢͏̧ú̴̀͟͝s̡̧͜ ̡̧̛͡͝ẃ̷̶̕a̴̴̧̕͟s҉̢́̕ ̷͢e͘͝͡r͏̸́̕a̸̡̛ş̸́e͟͝d̢͟͟͡) ̧̡b̵͟y̷̷̢ ҉͠t̴̸͟͞h̛̛͞ę̴͜ ҉͞S͟͡w̧͘͜͝͞a̡͢r̷̷͢͡m͏̴̧.̨̕͡͏

...

...

...

...

...

...

**Beginning 6th sequence.**

**Protection enabled.**

**Would you like to erase the data-**

* * *

><p><strong>End of <strong>'̷͟͞͠**Chapter**'̷͟͞͠** Five. To be con̢ti̶nu͟e͠d.̛**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**L͘͏e͏t͢ ́͞it҉́ ҉͝c̶o̢͝n̸͠ţ̴͠i̴̕n̸͘͞u̵e̕͏.̀́͡**

**̛͜͜:̸̛)́͡**


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